Hey all, I'm new here (as you'll guess) and new to AP, though not new to competitive shooting. As I work on my position, and the fact that I actually have to HOLD a gun up (a benchrest rifle shooter last 5 years)...I'm wondering what sort of "improvements" I should be looking for. I do not want to focus on scores, but let's face it, that's all we have to judge by. So, my question is...what can one reasonably expect over say the first 1000 rounds, 5000 rounds, etc. Are high 80's (10 shots) acceptible for a shooter of a month or 2? Should ALL shots be in the black by any certain period? Are there percentages of 9-10's that would indicate the hold is improving? I realize it's all relative, but if I'm "slow on the uptake" I may re-evaluate my goals. I've read lots of the posts here and find them very helpful, thanks in advance for any advice. And I won't be so long winded with my next post...I promise!
billcjr1-at-direcway.com.46442.0
Beginner landmarks...
Moderators: rexifelis, pilkguns
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mako
Re: Beginner landmarks...
<center><img src="http://images4.fotki.com/v39/photos/4/4 ... "></center>
makofoto-at-earthlink.net.46454.46442
makofoto-at-earthlink.net.46454.46442
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BillC
Re: Beginner landmarks...
Thanks for the info Mako. I actually got the guts to fire a full 60 the other day and shot 513, which I didn't think was too swift..so you've given me some renewed hope. I'm discovering that I can HOLD in the black, but of course that doesn't mean they are going there once my brain kicks in, or rather, kicks out.
: A while back I was shooting a Bullseye match ... next to the fellow who had the US centerfire record for many years (it was broken by John Bickar the following week) ... after we fired our last shot ... he happily said ... "got them all in the black!" So it's something we always "struggle" with. :-)
: I would say that in a few months you should be able to shoot a 500 out of 600 (333 out of 400). Practicing at least 4, 5 times a week.
: Elite shooters might shoot six times a week, a good 20,000 shots a year. One of the top russian shooters however says he likes to shoot each of his disciplines at least once a month.
: Not to discourage you ... but to show you what's possible, here is a composite target (not mine!) showing 60 shoots equaling 581. Note that to equal the World Record (593) you would have to shoot 12 less nines!
.46459.46454
: A while back I was shooting a Bullseye match ... next to the fellow who had the US centerfire record for many years (it was broken by John Bickar the following week) ... after we fired our last shot ... he happily said ... "got them all in the black!" So it's something we always "struggle" with. :-)
: I would say that in a few months you should be able to shoot a 500 out of 600 (333 out of 400). Practicing at least 4, 5 times a week.
: Elite shooters might shoot six times a week, a good 20,000 shots a year. One of the top russian shooters however says he likes to shoot each of his disciplines at least once a month.
: Not to discourage you ... but to show you what's possible, here is a composite target (not mine!) showing 60 shoots equaling 581. Note that to equal the World Record (593) you would have to shoot 12 less nines!
.46459.46454
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Mako
Re: Beginner landmarks...
you can certainly hold in the black ... get up close to your target ... an inch away and hold ... you're with in the black ... probably at least in the 9 if not 10 ring.
So that just shows that if you can keep your sights aligned ... by concentrating on the front sight (I have a dab of white just below the top center of my front sight to give me someting to zero in on) ... while constantly increasing trigger pressure until the pistol goes off "by itself," you should shoot at least a nine.
The sooner you truly believe this ... and stop trying to consciously make the shot go off ... they sooner you will start shooting excellent scores.
By using a sub six hold, the area between the bottom of the black and your front sight approx. equalling the thickness of the white on either side of your front sight ... you ... you can "area' aim ... that is ... not very much of your conscious attention should go to placing the front sight on target. Your mind can only do a very few things at a time ... well ... so the majority of your attention must go to the front sight and alignment. The older you get the more white you might need in order to help see the front sight clearly. If you are 40+ ... you will very likely need shooting glasses (or reading glasses) that allow you to see the front sight clearly. A blurry target is good ... it helps you maintain focus on the front sight. Reading glasses are often too strong ... so we usually end up getting real shooting glasses with interchangable diopters.
.46460.46459
So that just shows that if you can keep your sights aligned ... by concentrating on the front sight (I have a dab of white just below the top center of my front sight to give me someting to zero in on) ... while constantly increasing trigger pressure until the pistol goes off "by itself," you should shoot at least a nine.
The sooner you truly believe this ... and stop trying to consciously make the shot go off ... they sooner you will start shooting excellent scores.
By using a sub six hold, the area between the bottom of the black and your front sight approx. equalling the thickness of the white on either side of your front sight ... you ... you can "area' aim ... that is ... not very much of your conscious attention should go to placing the front sight on target. Your mind can only do a very few things at a time ... well ... so the majority of your attention must go to the front sight and alignment. The older you get the more white you might need in order to help see the front sight clearly. If you are 40+ ... you will very likely need shooting glasses (or reading glasses) that allow you to see the front sight clearly. A blurry target is good ... it helps you maintain focus on the front sight. Reading glasses are often too strong ... so we usually end up getting real shooting glasses with interchangable diopters.
.46460.46459
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GaryN
Re: Beginner landmarks...
We are all different. How much we practice, personal abilities, etc.
Keep records and watch your progress.
It is general progress over time that you want. You will have ups and downs, but you should be generally increasing your scores.
I keep records of each 10-shot target as well as total score. Helps me to figure out what I'm doing.
When I shoot I would try to keep every shot inside a particular ring. The next time I would see if I could keep it inside the next inner ring.
Gud Luk and Gud Shooting
Gary
: Hey all, I'm new here (as you'll guess) and new to AP, though not new to competitive shooting. As I work on my position, and the fact that I actually have to HOLD a gun up (a benchrest rifle shooter last 5 years)...I'm wondering what sort of "improvements" I should be looking for. I do not want to focus on scores, but let's face it, that's all we have to judge by. So, my question is...what can one reasonably expect over say the first 1000 rounds, 5000 rounds, etc. Are high 80's (10 shots) acceptible for a shooter of a month or 2? Should ALL shots be in the black by any certain period? Are there percentages of 9-10's that would indicate the hold is improving? I realize it's all relative, but if I'm "slow on the uptake" I may re-evaluate my goals. I've read lots of the posts here and find them very helpful, thanks in advance for any advice. And I won't be so long winded with my next post...I promise!
.46899.46442
Keep records and watch your progress.
It is general progress over time that you want. You will have ups and downs, but you should be generally increasing your scores.
I keep records of each 10-shot target as well as total score. Helps me to figure out what I'm doing.
When I shoot I would try to keep every shot inside a particular ring. The next time I would see if I could keep it inside the next inner ring.
Gud Luk and Gud Shooting
Gary
: Hey all, I'm new here (as you'll guess) and new to AP, though not new to competitive shooting. As I work on my position, and the fact that I actually have to HOLD a gun up (a benchrest rifle shooter last 5 years)...I'm wondering what sort of "improvements" I should be looking for. I do not want to focus on scores, but let's face it, that's all we have to judge by. So, my question is...what can one reasonably expect over say the first 1000 rounds, 5000 rounds, etc. Are high 80's (10 shots) acceptible for a shooter of a month or 2? Should ALL shots be in the black by any certain period? Are there percentages of 9-10's that would indicate the hold is improving? I realize it's all relative, but if I'm "slow on the uptake" I may re-evaluate my goals. I've read lots of the posts here and find them very helpful, thanks in advance for any advice. And I won't be so long winded with my next post...I promise!
.46899.46442